Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will take at least two more months to evaluate comments on a draft proposal to restructure the ports' drayage industry. The proposal is part of a program to reduce air pollution by, among other things, supporting the industry's replacement of old trucks. A decision to implement the Clean Air Action Plan, adopted by the ports last November, had been expected in July. (JoC, 06/28/07, www.joc.com)
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1. LA/LB Ports Delay Decision to Adopt Clean Air Action Plan
2. USTR Requests New WTO Panel on EU Banana Import Regime
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. has requested a new World Trade Organization panel to review whether the European Union's banana import regime breaches the EU's WTO obligations. The U.S. request relates to the EU's apparent failure to implement the WTO rulings in a 1996 proceeding initiated by the U.S. and certain Latin American countries which obligated the EU to bring its banana regime into WTO compliance. The USTR states that despite these commitments, the new EU banana regime put in place in January 2006 features a zero-duty tariff rate quota for bananas from African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries but a 176 euro/ton duty for bananas from Latin America. (USTR press release, dated 06/29/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/June/United_States_Requests_WTO_Panel_to_Review_European_Unions_Banana_Import_Regime.html)
3. U.S. and DR-CAFTA Parties to Hold Meeting on Chapter 17 Obligations, Etc.
The State Department has issued a notice announcing that the U.S. and the other U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) Parties intend to hold a second meeting of the Environment Affairs Council in Guatemala on July 24, 2007. The State Department invites comments no later than July 7, 2007 regarding agenda items, which include a review of the implementation of DR-CAFTA Chapter 17 obligations, working procedures for the Secretariat, etc. (Public Notice 5852, FR Pub 07/02/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-12751.pdf)
4. OFAC Blocks Property of Two Individuals Under WMD Executive Order
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a notice publishing the names of two newly-designated individuals whose property and interests in property are blocked, effective June 15, 2007, pursuant to Executive Order 13382 entitled "Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters." (OFAC notice, FR Pub 07/02/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-12761.pdf)
5. FDA Posts Various Notices to its Web Site
The Food and Drug Administration has posted the following notices to its Web site:
FDA warns consumers not to eat Veggie Booty flavor of snack food. FDA is warning consumers not to eat Veggie Booty flavor of snack food, marketed by Robert's American Gourmet, due to possible contamination with Salmonella Wandsworth, bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness. No other flavors or varieties of snack food marketed by Robert's American Gourmet have been associated with Salmonella Wandsworth contamination. (FDA warning, updated 06/29/07, available at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01661.html)
Lab Info. Bulletin on gentian violet and brilliant green in fish. FDA has posted a Laboratory Information Bulletin entitled "Quantitative and Confirmatory Analyses of Crystal Violet (Gentian Violet) and Brilliant Green in Fish." (LIB No. 4395, Volume 23, dated May 2007, available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/frf/lib4395.html)
Procedure document on screening for certain glycols in toothpaste. FDA has posted a procedures document entitled "Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Screening Procedure for the Presence of Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol in Toothpaste (Version 2.0)." (Procedures document, dated June 2007, available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/degmeth.html)
EFSA, FDA to strengthen cooperation in food safety science. FDA has issued a news release announcing that it and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) signed the first U.S./European agreement in the area of assessing food safety risk on July 2, 2007. (News release, dated 07/02/07, available at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01664.html)
6. Various Agencies Seek Comments on Information Collections
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
| Agency | Information Collection | Comments Due |
|---|---|---|
| FSA | Food Aid Request Entry System | 07/20/07 |
| FDA 1 | Information From Untied States Processors That Export to the European Community | 08/20/07 |
| FDA 2 | Infant Formula Requirements | Approved |
| BIS 1 | One-Time Report for Foreign Software of Technology Eligible for De Minimis Exclusion | 07/19/07 |
| BIS 2 | Delivery Verification Certificate | 07/19/07 |
FSA Information Collection (FR Pub 06/21/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11821.pdf
FDA 1 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/21/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11980.pdf
FDA 2 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/22/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-12057.pdf
BIS 1 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/19/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11802.pdf
BIS 2 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/19/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11766.pdf